Differences between the three versions don't stop there, either. We've already mentioned control and some of the fundamental player count discrepancies, but there are also quite a few graphic differences. Aside from being the cleanest of the three, the PC version also sports a great deal more flora in its environments. On PC, the already wooded Endor changes into an overgrown nightmare replete with a thousand camping spots, making it that much more difficult to weed out Rebel forces. All of the versions, thankfully, sport some admirably done visuals capable of rendering a great amount of activity on-screen at any given time. The engine also boasts clean shadowing techniques, vivid laser blasts, thick explosions, and, most notably, a subtle bloom effect that masks dull textures and enhances the situation by placing the player into the "heat" of battle. For the PlayStation 2, there are some hiccups in performance, but Xbox handles it well, and even mid-range PCs will be capable of running Battlefront smoothly.

While we've now talked about the graphics and the online gameplay differences between the three, it's important to still address some basic technical aspects. While this particular section of reviews is especially difficult to do because it's largely dependent on where you live and with whom you play, it should still be known that the Xbox, with its more friendly infrastructure, edges out the PlayStation 2 version, which has a tendency to lag on the more cluttered maps that require packets be thrown about left and right. All three, however, don't offer the kinds of advanced clan creation and tracking and player management features that should be incorporated into any future title of the kind.

And this leads us into my biggest issue with Battlefront. While it offers these amazing spectacles, thrilling battles, and remains a great account of what Star Wars battles must have felt like, there simply isn't enough content to keep the game going for months or years after its release. The maps are varied enough to be interesting, but they are limited in approach and amount. Given that there also isn't a lot of presentational value placed into online management, and the fact that the balancing quirks require the game to be played through in rather specific ways, it's hard to see this one propelling itself far beyond current multiplayer mainstays. The problems are especially apparent on PC, where Battlefront finds itself staring at some incredibly tough competition.

Imprerial Pilot

Star Wars Battlefront [2004]

A multiplayer online shooter set in the Star Wars universe featuring soldier sets from the series and a wide variety of vehicles out of the films.

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The Verdict

It's darn good, but not without faults of its own. On Xbox and PlayStation, Battlefront offers a distinct style of play that has not yet been exploited or overdeveloped as it has on the PC.

There's a very likable, very direct approach to its combat. It uses high quality visuals and sounds to implant a legitimately Star Wars experience into our heads, but it's careful to never beat us with the franchise. There are large, epic battles. There is a great emphasis on cooperation, and it's a very intuitive game.

On PlayStation 2 and Xbox, all this works extremely well, despite its inherent AI and longevity shortcomings. On PC, unfortunately, the problems are all amplified by an overwhelming amount of competition that simply makes Battlefront look a bit simplistic.